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Noctua NH-L9i Review

Noctua NH-L9i Conclusion:

A cooling solution for the overclocking enthusiast, the NH-L9i is not. Although some mild overclocking with a low wattage TDP processor might open some doors for this low profile solution. As it is, the Noctua NH-L9i plays well above its fighting weight when cooling a 95w TDP chip. Keeping that in mind the NH-L9i was able to deliver a 13+% improvement over the stock Intel box cooling solution when paired with my Core i7 2600K and it even out performed a competing solution by 4C running in the same configuration. Impressive to say the least from a 92x92mm cooler that stands only 37mm tall. As a low profile design, the NH-L9i is going to fit into a chassis that larger cooling solutions just cannot fit into. Perfect for a small form factor gaming rig or HTPC where space is at a premium. The compact footprint means you will not run into some of the challenges seen with larger solutions, that include fitment problems when running DRAM modules with large heat shields or space concerns with video cards that just get to close to the cooler. While this specific cooler is going to work only with Intel LGA socket 115X motherboards and processors AMD fans are not left out in the cold per say. Noctua makes the NH-L9a with socket compatibility for all current AMD sockets.

For $48 you get a cooling solution that just says quality through and through. A smooth base, well thought out mounting solution, nickel plated copper base and heat pipes, excellent thermal compound, low noise adapter, and a fan that is packed full of technology to reduce noise and increase static pressure and airflow, both desirable traits in a cooling solution. Low noise cooling is where Noctua excels. You get all this, a 6 year warranty, and more with the NH-L9i. So far, this is the best low profile small form factor cooler I have tested.